Apparatus for removing prunes from prune trays



Oct. 2, 1962 F. KNIPSCHILD 3,056,519

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PRUNES FROM PRUNE TRAYS Filed April 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN FRED KN IP HILD ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 2, 1962 Filed April 15. 1959 F. KNlPSCHlLD 3,056,519

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PRUNES FROM PRUNE TRAYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 43 6/ I3 58 42 w 7 F j Y s 2 warm \uxiv-cflrsrk wink 11m. g U 0 0 a I I ll l N VE N TOR. FRED KN/PSCH/LD BY q,

United rates Patent Uflfice 3,056,519 Patented Oct. 2, 1962 3,056,515 APPARATUS FUR REMGVING PRUNES FROM PRUNE TRAYS Fred Knipschild, 1314 Oak St., St. Helena, Calif. Filed Apr. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 806,679 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-310) This invention generally relates to devices for facilitating the removal of articles, such as fruit, from containers, and is more particularly directed towards an apparatus for the separation of prunes from prune trays.

As is Well known in the art, prunes are conventionally dried on large shallow trays, and considerable effort is required to effect a removal thereof from the trays. Mere dumping of the trays will not effect a discharge of the tray contents, and, therefore, the processor has heretofore been required to either employ the slow manual process of scraping the prunes loose from the trays, or investing substantial capital in the purchase of large and costly automatic equipment for this purpose.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an unloading mechanism for prunes which is simple and inexpensive in construction and which is capable of processing substantial numbers of filled prune trays with a minimum amount of effort by the operators.

Another object of this invention is to provide unloading apparatus of the character described which will insure the removal of all of the prunes from the trays and delivery thereof to a common point of discharge without damage to the prunes or other loss of product.

A further object of this invention is to provide an unloader of the type described in which the tray, upon manual inversion thereof, is releasably locked in posi tion, and then caused to be moved past a relatively fixed scraper element efiecting removal of the prunes therefrom, and which, upon release of said tray lock, raises the tray for removal from the apparatus.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

PiGURE 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 22 of FIG- URE l, but illustrating a tray in position.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of a portion of the apparatus, and on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the tray locking devices in its operative position.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but illustrating such device in its tray release position.

In broad terms, the apparatus of the present invention includes a carriage or movable member 12 adapted to receive and clamp an inverted prune tray 13, and a stationary frame 14 carrying a prune scraping member 16, the carriage 12 being slidable along the frame 14 whereby all of the prunes in the tray will be subjected to the action of the scraper and caused to be gravitally discharged into a hopper or the like.

Trays 13, which are intended to be handled by this apparatus, are conventionally fabricated from wood, and include a rectangular frame composed of side rails .17 and a generally solid prunesupporting platform 18 extending between the rails intermediate the height thereof.

Since the prunes must be positively dislodged from the platform 18, even when the latter is inverted, it is of course essential that all portions of the platform come into substantially immediate adjacent relation with the scraper member 16 during operation of the device.

Referring first to the frame 14, which might also be considered as the base of the apparatus, the same will be seen to be of generally rectangular configuration, in cluding side rails 21, a front rail 22, and a rear rail 23. The frame is preferably supported in a generally horizontal position in spaced relation to the ground by means of legs 24, and suitable bracing members 26 are utilized to lend proper structural rigidity to the unit. As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, the frame is provided with a hopper 27 depending from the rails, and extending from the front rail 22 for approximately one-half the length of the frame. The hopper consists of a pair of side walls 28 extending downwardly and inwardly from the side rails 21, a front wall 2? similarly disposed relative to front rail 22, and a like rear wall 3 1 depending from a transverse bracing member 32. The lower edges of the respective walls are spaced to define a discharge opening 33 for the passage of prunes as Will be hereinafter further discussed in more detail.

The scraper member '16 is positioned adjacent the medial transverse bracing member 32 and is desirably in the form of a helical worm or anger formed in sections, with the convolutions of the respective sections extending in different directions so as to avoid feeding of all of the prunes towards one end of the worm. The form is mounted on a transversely disposed shaft 36, one end of which is journalled in a bearing 37 mounted on one side rail 21, and the other end of which extends outwardly of the other side rail for driving connection to a motor through suitable drive mechanism 38.

As will be understood, the worm 16 is adapted to engage the prunes when a tray is passed over the same in an inverted position, and in this connection, the movable tray-supporting carriage 12 is .utilized. Member 12 is of a size to receive th tray 13 in an initial position wherein the tray is positioned entirely over the hop-per 27 with one edge of the tray over the worm 16, and is movable along the frame 14 until the other tray edge is moved over the worm. Since the Worm completely traverses the frame, such movement will result in all portions of the tray platform 18 coming into operative relationship with the worm. As illustrated, carriage 12 is of open frame-like constructions including side Walls 41, a front wall 42 and a rear wall 43. In its initial position above discussed, front wall 42 is in substantial alignment with the front rail 22, and means are provided permitting rearward movement thereof along the frame past the intermediate position illustrated in FIGURE 2 until the rear wall 43 overlies the rear frame rail 23. Such means include a pair of rackets 46 secured to spaced portions of each of the side of the side walls 41, and carrying rollers 47 rotatably engaging and positioned between vertically spaced horizontally extensions 49 of the frame rails 21, with additional rollers 51 mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and engaging the edge of the extension for preventing transverse displacement of the member 12. It ill also be noted that one of the side walls 41 is provided with a slot 53 extending for a substantial distance along the length thereof, such slot receiving the worm shaft 36 and permitting free longitudinal movement of the member 12 on the frame.

During movement of the carriage 12 and the tray 13 carried thereby, the action of the worm on the prunes and tray can be quite severe. The arrangement of the rollers 46 and 51 will maintain the member 12 in proper relation to the frame, and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, novel means are utilized to properly support and clamp the tray in operative position on th carriage. Insofar as the more support of the tray is concerned, this may be readily accomplished by means of a plurality of small pegs 56 extending inwardly from side walls 41 and upon which the sides 17 of the tray may be seated. It will be noted that the use of round pegs avoids the danger of prunes falling from the tray during the tray loading operation, resting on the tray supports, and preventing proper seating of the tray thereon.

To firmly lock the tray in the carriage 12, the front wall of the latter is provided with a plurality of resilient pads 58 against which the corresponding frame rail abuts, which cooperate with a plurality of clamp devices 59 carried by the rear wall 43 of the tray carrying member. Each device includes a resilient pad 61 selectively movable from and towards the fixed pads '8 to effect clamping or release of a tray pOsitioned therebetween. As best seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, each device comprises a rocker arm 62. on which the pad 61 is carried, pivoted on a pin 63 carried by brackets 64, which are mounted on wall 53. To permit the aforementioned fore and aft movement of the arm, the brackets are slotted at 66 to receive the pin. A shaft 67 positioned transversely of member 12 and having offset handle portions 6% at its ends passes through apertures formed in the brackets and has secured thereto in eccentric relation a cylindrical cam 69 rotatably mounted in a circular bore provided in the rocker arm. In this manner, rotation of the shaft 67 in a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawing will cause the rocker arm to be swung clockwise and forwardly to the tray locking position shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. Contra rotation of the shaft causes a counterclockwise and rearward movement to be imparted to the arm as illustrated in FIGURE 5. In moving to this latter position, it will be seen that each rocker arm has an extension 71 which will then be moved to an upwardly inclined position, causing the rear portion of the emptied tray to be raised upwardly to facilitate removal thereof.

In operation, a pair of operators will first manually roll the carriage to its forward position overlying hopper 27. A tray 13 will then be lifted, an edge placed on or adjacent front wall 42, and the tray inverted. The clamps are operated, and the carriage is then moved rearwardly along the frame so that the prunes in the tray will be scraped therefrom while passing over the worm 16. When the carriage reaches the rear frame rail, the clamps are released, the tray removed, and the apparatus is in condition for a new operational cycle. Attention is also directed towards the upstanding side plates 76 which deflect any prunes towards the hopper during tray inversion.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the character described including a longitudinally extending base having a horizontally disposed open frame, an auger type scraper element mounted for rotary movement on opposed sides of said frame medially of the ends thereof, a carriage mounted for rolling movement longitudinally of said frame, said carriage defining a horizontally disposed open frame, tray supporting means on said carriage for gravitally supporting a tray in an inverted horizontal position, a clamp member positioned adjacent an end of said carriage and selectively manually movable from and towards the other end thereof for releasably locking a tray in said position, said clamp member including an arm pivotally mounted on said carriage adapted to engage a side wall of a tray supported on said carriage, an angular extension on said arm adapted to underlie such side wall, cam means operatively associated with said arm for rotating the latter and moving the same radially of th pivotal connection thereof, and manually engageable operating means connected to said cam means.

2 Apparatus of the character described comprising a longitudinally extending base having a horizontally disposed open frame, a prune scraper extending between opposed side portions of said frame, a prune tray supporting carriage carried by said base for horizontal manual rolling movement longitudinally thereof, said carriage having a substantially open frame defining a trayreceiving opening, means on said carriage for supporting a tray in inverted horizontal disposition, a plurality of brackets mounted on said carriage adjacent an end thereof and extending into said opening and having a slot therein, a tray clamping arm, a pin on said arm slidably and rotatably mounted in said slot, means for rotating and moving said arm relative to said bracket including a manually engageable shaft traversing said carriage, and a cylindrical cam carried by said shaft in eccentric relation thereto, said cam being journalled on said arm about an axis parallel to the axis of said pin.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which said arm has a tray lift extension disposed angularly downwardly in one position of arm rotation and angularly upwardly in another position thereof for raising a tray upon release of said clamp arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,196,772 Gaede Sept. 5, 1916 2,428,855 Sanders et al. Oct. 14, 1947 2,802,227 Parsons Aug. 13, 1957 l l i 

